China vs Iran, Islamic Republic of: Refugees by country of origin
China
153,564 people
in 2024
Iran, Islamic Republic of
158,166 people
in 2024
China rank
20th
Iran, Islamic Republic of rank
19th
Refugees by country of origin over time
- China
- Iran, Islamic Republic of
How they compare
Iran, Islamic Republic of currently reports 158,166 people against 153,564 people in China, a difference of 4,602 people.
The two have swapped places 4 times across 45 shared years of data; in 1980 it was Iran, Islamic Republic of ahead.
China ranks 20th and Iran, Islamic Republic of ranks 19th of 204 countries.
Across the 5 decades both report, China averaged higher in 3 and Iran, Islamic Republic of in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | Iran, Islamic Republic of | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 118 people | 31,237 people | 31,119 people | Iran, Islamic Republic of |
| 1990s | 85,000 people | 105,912 people | 20,912 people | Iran, Islamic Republic of |
| 2000s | 139,704 people | 96,895 people | 42,809 people | China |
| 2010s | 202,763 people | 93,098 people | 109,665 people | China |
| 2020s | 164,216 people | 142,137 people | 22,079 people | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher refugees by country of origin, China or Iran, Islamic Republic of?
- Iran, Islamic Republic of, at 158,166 people against 153,564 people in China as of 2024.
- What is the difference in refugees by country of origin between China and Iran, Islamic Republic of?
- 4,602 people, with Iran, Islamic Republic of ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and Iran, Islamic Republic of?
- 45 years are reported by both, from 1980 to 2024.
- How do China and Iran, Islamic Republic of rank globally for refugees by country of origin?
- China ranks 20th and Iran, Islamic Republic of ranks 19th of 204 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNHCR (2025) β with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Refugees by country of origin. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
People who fled their country of origin and are in need of international protection. Refugees are those who have already been granted asylum status in the country they moved to. This includes all refugees, not just those who fled that year.